Table of Contents
Cramps
While the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic and clever device, the Joy-Con controllers are not very comfortable and have a few flaws. They’re alright for short play sessions, but when playing a game like The Witcher 3 for some hours, you’ll probably get some cramps. Of course, you can hook the Switch up to a TV and play with the Pro controller, but if you’re like me and play more in handheld mode you really want something more comfortable.
Joy-Con replacement
I present to you: the Hori Split Pad Pro Daemon X Machina Edition.
Or a little bit shorter: Hori Split Pad Pro. There are more editions, but I like the black with red accents. It’s basically a Pro controller split in half. My opinion about this controller is also split in half, to be honest.
Size
These controllers are a lot bigger than the Joy-Cons. Maybe a little bit too big. Nothing is ever right, is it? They feel more comfortable than the Joy-Cons, but in order to reach the back triggers, I need to re-adjust my grip somewhat which is a shame. They are not for people with small hands.
Also, they make your Switch really bulky and less portable. It probably won’t fit in your case with these controllers attached. This was fine for me as I mostly play at home on the couch.
It still fits nicely into the Switch dock, fortunately.
Sticks and buttons
I like the fact that the sticks are bigger and have a wider range than the sticks on the Joy-Cons. The problem with the right Joy-Con is that the stick is placed to low. The Hori Split Pad Pro doesn’t have this problem which is a major improvement for playing games with precise camera/crosshair controls. The sticks feel a little bit more plastic compared to the Pro controller, though.
The buttons on the right part are well placed, but feel a little bit too loose in my opinion. They don’t feel as tight as the Pro controller but further no complaints. The directional pad on the left part is really good and should be on the original Joy-Con this way.
Both halves have an extra button on the back which can be assigned to any button on that controller half. I did not find this very useful. I’ve also never used the turbo button. It simulates the continuous spamming of a single button.
The shoulder buttons are okay and digital, like most of Nintendo’s other controllers. So fans of sim racing games still can’t play on the Switch…
Lacking features
Despite being almost as expensive as the Pro controller, the Hori Split Pad Pro lacks quite some features. There’s no NFC, gyro, battery, rumble and IR. This means you can’t use Amiibos, aim by moving your Switch, use the controllers while off the Switch, feel vibrations and play games that require IR (like 1-2-Switch and Ring Fit).
Conclusion
That are some serious concessions you need to make for more comfort. I didn’t mind it because I don’t use most of these functions but that’s different for everyone. If you want the best of both worlds, you can always mix the controllers: one half Joy-Con and one half Hori Split Pad Pro. This enables the lacking features, but makes your Nintendo Switch look even weirder.
